The Tanjung Simpang shipwreck

This shipwreck was found in 2003, 400 meters from the shore of Tanjung Simpang Mangayau in the north of Sabah and at a depth of 12 meters. It is likely that the vessel sank over coral rocks, which combined with pounding waves, caused it to immediately break apart. 

Some small pieces of the ship’s broken and dispersed timber have been collected. The timber – probably pine, fir or cedar – indicates that the ship was of Chinese origin. 303 ceramic artefacts and 205 kilograms of shards have been recovered, as well as 61 bronze gongs and 76 copper ingots. According to the intervening company, many other objects had been looted.  The whole cargo contained Chinese ware, which dates to the Northern Song dynasty, somewhere between 960 and 1126 AD. Therefore, the Tanjung Simpang ship may be one of the oldest Chinese vessels found in the Malaysian waters. The place where the vessel was found suggests that it travelled from China via the Philippines to destinations in Brunei or Borneo.